Harsha
Harshavardhana (IAST Harṣa-vardhana; c. 590–647 CE) was a Pushyabhuti emperor who ruled northern India from year 606 to 647 CE. He was the son of Prabhakaravardhana who had defeated the Alchon Hun invaders, and the younger brother of Rajyavardhana, a king of Thanesar, present-day Haryana.
| Harsha | |
|---|---|
| Maharajadhiraja | |
Coin of Harshavardhana, c. 606–647 CE. | |
| Pushyabhuti Emperor | |
| Reign | c. 606 – c. 647 CE |
| Predecessor | Rajyavardhana |
| Successor | Arunāsva |
| Born | 590 CE possibly Sthanvishvara, Pushyabhuti Kingdom (present-day Thanesar, Haryana, India) |
| Died | 647 CE (aged 56-57) possibly Kanyakubja, Empire of Harsha (present-day Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh, India) |
| Dynasty | Pushyabhuti |
| Father | Prabhakarvardhana |
| Mother | Yasomati |
| Religion | Shaivism Buddhism (according to Xuanzang) |
| Signature | |
At the height of Harsha's power, his realm covered much of northern and northwestern India, with the Narmada River as its southern boundary. He eventually made Kanyakubja (present-day Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh state) his imperial capital, and reigned till 647 CE. Harsha was defeated by the Emperor Pulakeshin II of the Chalukya dynasty in the Battle of Narmada, when he tried to expand his empire into the southern peninsula of India.
The peace and prosperity that prevailed made his court a centre of cosmopolitanism, attracting scholars, artists and religious visitors from far and wide. The Chinese traveller Xuanzang visited the imperial court of Harsha and wrote a very favourable account of him (as Shiladitya), praising his justice and generosity. His biography Harshacharita ("The Life of Harsha") written by the Sanskrit poet Banabhatta, describes his association with Sthanesvara, besides mentioning a defensive wall, a moat and the palace with a two-storied Dhavalagriha (white mansion).